Silver Lining
by MiwakoMalfoy
Summary: Two idiots. Pretty much all I can say about it. I swear I'm more articulate in the story.


Jane Silver breathed in slowly through her nose and held it in just for a little moment. In that little moment she screamed her brains out inside her own skull which is physiologically an achievement one should be proud of. Doomed by the bell - Two more pages, two more damned pages and she would have been able to finish the store account for the week. It was her seventh time going through the records and… No matter. A bright smile flashed her face as Jane faced the new client.

"Welcome Sir"

Jane felt her insides quench as her eyes met the blue military uniform. The military, after last night the last thing she needed was to have the military probing around the shop - Her slight dismay froze on the spot and got heartlessly smashed by a much bigger dread, a gigantic panic – colossal even. That wasn't simply the military, that was the very state alchemist she had fought and manage to dodge miraculously – **_that_ **was a crippling amount of trouble.

Jane instincts rattled loudly down her spine trying their best to make her come to her senses. She had just automatically laid her hands together when it hit her that her opponent wasn't in a fighting stand nor was he screaming or trying to burn her alive… In fact he was looking at her like something was very, very… _off_.

Roy Mustang blinked twice at the girl behind the counter. He could have taken the sun rising up green that morning but expecting to see good old rickety Mr Färber and instead getting… well **_that_ **was a tiny little over what he could manage. Besides he wouldn't most likely need to do anything regarding the sun, green or not, whereas here he had to give his very best not to look like a complete idiot. And apparently his very best was falling quite short on the task. Roy turned for the first shelf he could find and stared at it as intently as possible.

Jane observed with her palms still glued together as the man glared intensely at the shelves where the intestinal pain potions were sitting. Forcing herself to look as if she was not about to murder him she busied herself opening and closing drawers before getting the divine inspired idea of reordering the cabinet behind her allowing her to turn her back. Could it be that he hadn't recognised her? She caught a glimpse of him moving to the next shelf on the glass and breathed slowly – he didn't seem like he was about to start an open war so she had to get herself together. Jane turned back to her papers praying to some unknown force that her face wasn't selling her right away or that her flesh hadn't suddenly and mysteriously turned into some rubber material, for she surely felt that, against all evolutionary knowledge that was precisely the case. She eyed the man from the corner of her eye and realized that now he was staring at the hair growth potions as if he expected them to break on a fandango any moment. Jane frown suspicious before clearing her throat slightly.

"Can I be of assistance?" Jane praised herself mentally on how steady her voice sounded. The alchemist started slightly and turned around.

"Ah – hello I hummm Yes in fact I think you can I was ahm you uhh working here now?"

Roy felt like he wanted to fade into the potions cabinet he had been gawking at, close himself inside one of the little vacuum sealed pots and die as the girl's yellowish eyes widen a little in surprise.

"What I mean to say is" Roy started quickly "I was expecting to see Mr. Färber and I uhh…" Roy trailed off waving his hand vaguely around much to Jane's alarm who would much rather he kept his hands still and where she could see them, no sudden movements.

"Oh yes uhmm you a regular client are you? I am Mr. Färber new assistant, pleasure to meet you"

"Oh ah my pleasure, my pleasure. Oohh new assistant, ah I that's wonderful I humm then you should be able to help me indeed…" Jane watched him walk hesitantly towards the counter and tensed up on her heels an uncomfortable dread in her lower back. "Ahm you see Mr Fäber he always gets me this fast regeneration potion but I, ah my head, I don't actually know its name…" Jane wondered on edge why would someone talk with such unnecessary hand movements.

"Fast regeneration you said? But… for your head I'm not sure I follow" Jane mumbled making sure to avert eye contact as much as it was polite. The night before she had been more a less concealed by her hood and Tess' scarf but her eyes had been fully visible and that very officer standing now slightly less than a meter away had hold her gaze fiercely while putting everything ablaze. She caught his eyes for a moment and could feel her breathing trying to sell her off before he laughed nervously wagging his hand.

"No, no! It's a fast regeneration potion for flesh wounds and – " Roy turned as the door bell rumbled behind him and felt the relief washing over every single bone he owned as old Fäber voice boomed a greeting. More relief he had ever thought he could get from an old man's voice calling him.

"Here for the usual Colonel? See you've met Miss Silver? That's ok Jane I will take the Colonel's order from here."

Before Roy could even as much as raise his eyes the young woman had vanished to the back room only a swinging white ponytail before the curtains fell back in place.


End file.
